Is Time4Popcorn Safe?

It goes without saying that anyone who is reading our posts on a regular basis will know that we are avid fans of the Netflix for Pirates application also referred to as Popcorn Time. However, for some odd reason the original developers dropped the project rather suddenly. However, a number of different developers took advantage of this opportunity and started developing new versions of Popcorn Time based on its source code.

Time4Popcorn-Looking at the Bigger Picture

One particular version caught our attention almost instantaneously due to its promise that it will remain active for years to come. This is a promise that Time4Popcorn has managed to adhere to so far. Apart from developing new features which were not offered before it includes innovative features like Chromecast Support and built-in VPN.

Controversies Surrounding Time4Popcorn

A ferocious spat has developed between T4P and the mainstream Popcorn Time Fork community. The community claims that Time4Popcorn is not only shady but quite dangerous at the same time. Some of these accusations appear quite rarely and are petty at times, but there are some which are equally terrifying at the same time.

There has been a lot of concern about the fact that T4P makes extensive use of centralized server systems. In theory, they are more vulnerable and are loaded with malicious code that could do more harm than good in the long run. Furthermore, there is a piece of code which is more susceptible to attacks by means of a Man in the Middle attack. But then again, it does seem baseless as the source code for T4P is freely available for inspection on GitHib. It is safe to say that the source code reveals no such backdoors or harmful code in the app itself.

Even more acrimonious is the debate over whether the T4P team properly credited the developers of the original source code. According to the GPL license, a copyright header needs to be placed to each and every piece of code to properly credit the original owners. If for any reason, the T4P developers are guilty in this regard then the original owners have every right to feel annoyed.

There is a pretty good reason why the T4P team has referred to its application as ‘Popcorn Time’. The website looks quite similar to the original site and functions just about the same which has stirred a lot of controversy as well.

The Verdict

Unfortunately, the debate has heated to such a point where we would rather stay away from the topic completely. However, a reddit sticky has pulled back on the matter and the accusations he placed earlier and has gone to such an extent having said that T4P is not dangerous and never was.

Regardless of the fact that the T4P developers acted in a shady manner or not, we will leave it for our readers to decide.